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Searching for Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides: An Experiment for Organic Chemistry Students
journal contribution
posted on 2016-04-14, 00:00 authored by Thomas
E. Vasquez, Cristina Saldaña, Katy A. Muzikar, Debra Mashek, Jane M. LiuThis laboratory experiment provides
undergraduate students enrolled
in organic chemistry the opportunity to design and synthesize their
own peptide, which is then tested for antimicrobial activity. After
reading a primary scientific paper on antimicrobial peptides, students
design and synthesize their own hexapeptide that they hypothesize
will have antimicrobial activity. The students characterize their
products by analyzing liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
and antimicrobial bioassay data for their synthesized peptide. The
students are able to complete the synthesis and prepare their samples
for analysis in three 3–4 h lab periods; instructors perform
LC–MS and a bioassay with the peptides and provide data to
students for analysis. This exercise is flexible and can be altered
to include students performing the bioassay, or to meet different
time constraints or target student populations. This experiment allows
students to increase their knowledge of solid phase peptide chemistry
and gain experience with developing and testing hypotheses through
experimental design.